We have all experienced that trouble trying to match that soft, melt-in-your-mouth steak that we had from steakhouses.
No worries because now since it is completely possible with the help of the Otto Wilde Grill and the Otto Wilde Lite.
These two grills fall under the category of Salamanders or Overhead grills.
This means that the heat comes from the top of the device instead of the bottom.
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One benefit of this setup is that when the grease from your steak drips down, it does not burn, so it leaves no mark on any of the parts of the grill.
Salamander grills leave that amazing crust on your food while ensuring that the food cooks inside out.
Usually, when a waiter brings you food and warns you about the hot plate, it most likely came right out of a salamander grill or just from the microwave (LOL).
The Otto Wilde Grill and the Otto Wilde Lite are of the same quality, and both are amazing. However, there are still differences that are noticeable and can make the other better.
We are about to see what makes the two different and see which one is better by using different categories to compare them.
Either way, none of these two will disappoint you if you are looking to buy one of them. We will just mention what the grills pack and what they can bring into your kitchen.
Setting Up The Grills
Right out of the box, you can use these grills in just 10 minutes.
The setup is not that hard since the box brings everything that you will need.
The package includes the grill itself, the grate, a gas regulator and hose, the lever or bottle opener, and the manuals and guides you need.
If you want to be extremely cautious, you can tighten up the screws just if they get a little loose during delivery, but other than that, you are a step away from cooking with these two grills.
Make sure to find a tabletop that can handle the heat because there will be a lot of heat that comes out of the grills.
I would recommend to place them on a stainless steel tabletop or a stone under high temperatures.
After that, you can simply connect the hose from the grills to your propane tank. Large propane tanks will do.
Make sure to check the line for leaks and not cook if you have observed something wrong.
Features and Design
In this category, we will find many differences between the two, so you might want to read on carefully to see which one is better.
First is the lid of the grills. The Otto Wilde Grill has a detachable lid for ease of cleaning with the latches found at the back.
With a simple pull, the latches will unlock the grill, and the whole top part of the grill, the burners come right off, so go ahead and wash the grill’s interior.
Of course, you will not need to wash them for the burners as they create high temperatures to clean themselves by pyrolyzing the dirt that gets stuck on them.
The Otto Wilde Lite has a permanent hood so, to clean it properly, you will have to remove all the parts inside that can be detached and clean them one by one.
Both of the grills have the same enamel-coated, cast-iron grates that measure 12.8 by 10.4 inches, so they can both handle two porterhouse steaks at a time.
They are also adjustable so that when your steak’s outer parts are burning, you can lower the grates to let the inside continue cooking.
However, you can adjust the grates in a very different way.
See, for the Otto Wilde Lite, it has six rack positions where you can adjust the grate’s height.
But for the Otto Wilde Grill, you have unlimited, stageless height adjustment with the help of the lever that you can detach.
The use of the lever with the Otto Wilde Lite can be inserted in the dedicated hole of its grate to be lifted and removed out of the grill without gloves.
It can also double as a bottle opener, but the Otto Wilde Grill’s main function is to adjust the grate’s height with a “Meat-O-Meter” numeric setting.
The Meat-O-Meter is a numeric adjustment for the grates that indicates the height. With numbers 1 to 5, with 5 being the lowest level and 1, the highest.
The height of the grates allows you to adjust the heat that comes into your food. So you can sear on the top rack while you can keep your food warm at the bottom with moderate heat.
Some more Features of the Grills
Another distinct difference between these two grills is their burners.
Yes, they do have the same two burners inside them, but each gets controlled differently.
The Otto Wilde Grill has two individual burners with two control knobs and two ignition buttons so you can adjust the heat and make the other produce different temperatures.
This means that the versatility of the recipes you are cooking in this grill is great.
You can sear a steak on one side of the grill while roasting or grilling vegetables on the other.
The Otto Wilde Lite, on the other hand, has two individual burners that a knob and an ignition button can manage.
This means that whatever the temperature of one burner, the other is the same.
The benefit of this is that you can cook two steaks, and they will cook evenly.
The additional features of these two grills include a drip pan that catches the grease from cooking in the grill.
It also acts as a steam cooker. Otto recommends putting water in the drip pan to help cook your food while keeping it tender.
The clever lever, which we have mentioned before, is used for the Otto Wilde Grill’s height adjustment and acts as a handle for the grates.
You can also get drip tray tongs made of high-quality stainless steel and rubber-coated edges for gripping the drip pan when greasy.
Powering the Grills
These are two powerful grills, so you need to take precautions when using them and make sure that kids do not prevent unfortunate events from happening.
Both grills can heat up to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit, far hotter than portable pizza ovens and way hotter than your regular indoor home ovens.
Both Otto grills can reach that temperature in just 3 minutes after you have ignited them, so be sure to prepare your food before igniting the grills.
Otto boasts their Radiant Technology and claims that their grills are way better than conventional home ovens that cook via convection.
Compared to convection heat, the infrared waves that travel directly from the heat to your food do not dry them out.
Meaning, the air circulation in convection ovens can sometimes dry out the food, especially the outside. With Otto’s Radiant Technology, the foods are cooked quicker and leave the moisture needed inside.
When you put water in the drip tray, you might find it hard to see that the water does not evaporate. Then you will realize that steaming is not its main purpose.
Yes, the steam can be helpful but filling it halfway with water makes the grill easy to clean.
The water immediately extinguishes the grease that drips on the tray.
The grills also have a pan at the bottom that you can pull when trying to flip your steak.
So all you need to do is pull out the pan, then the grate, and then use tongs to flip the steak.
The pan’s purpose is to catch all the drippings while the grate and your steak are out of the grill to lessen the mess that you might leave on your tabletop.
Cooking inside the Grills
Cooking in the Otto Grills is fairly easy. All you need to do is preheat the grills, which only takes about 3 minutes to reach the maximum temperature.
The heat that the grills produce is very helpful and is perfect for cooking steak.
You can sear any type of steak in the grills with 1 minute on each side.
By then, you will have to cook the inside a little bit more if you want a medium-rare by placing the grates on the lower rack for the Lite and a lower level for the Otto Wilde Grill.
The lever is pretty helpful in almost everything; if you have used the grill long enough, you can create ways to use the lever.
Of course, there is the beer bottle opener feature, and you can even flip the steaks with it.
The lever can be a handle for the grates, and the comfort on the handle is great.
When we tried other recipes, the grill sometimes needed a cover, so not much heat would go out.
For example, when cooking pizzas, it perfectly melts the cheese but sometimes leaves the crust soggy.
But if you have made a thin crust, it will be as great as the ones cooked in brick ovens.
The best way we have figured is to cook the pizza in the middle of the grill at least 900 degrees Fahrenheit.
You can burn the toppings when the pizza is on the top rack, but the crust is perfectly cooked. So it is a matter of choosing which one you would prefer.
As for vegetables, the Otto Grills did not have any problem with cooking them.
Bell peppers are cooked perfectly in just one minute, and you can even broil in the grills.
The grills are both very versatile, so you can experiment with them and cook whatever you want. They are also large enough so you can fit casseroles or other cookware in them to cook.
Conclusion
Since both of these grills are powerful, you cannot judge them objectively; it is always a matter of choice.
For example, if you want the burner to have the same temperatures, you will be more accurate with that when you choose the Otto Wilde Lite with a single control knob.
If you are alone and need just one steak and want to cook another recipe that requires different temperatures, you can get the Otto Wilde Grill that can have different temperatures on each burner.
==> Check out the Otto Wilde Grill
I would personally go with the Otto Wilde Grill because there is a lot more to do with this grill than you can do with it than the Otto Wilde Lite.
However, it depends on your needs, and if it is okay for you to manage your cooking needs with the Lite, you can go ahead with that grill. The quality of both the grills is pretty amazing, and you will love everything about them.
Otto also gives you two years of warranty for the replacement of parts. You also have the right to return when you are not satisfied with the grills.
Make sure to check them out on their website and see which one fits you best.
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Thank you very much for breaking down the form and function of the Otto Wilde Grill vs the Otto Wilde Lite! My family and I enjoy a good steak every now and again, and I will mention this to my old man. Since it can cook two porterhouse steaks at a time, I’d say this is excellent for small family meals. Every dinner other than large holidays and get together, this lets you enjoy an excellent steak without all the fuss and outdoor work. A great review!
Thank you. It really helped in making a decision which one is better for my use.